Wasn't Supposed To Happen
by Emilie Eden
Summary: Caitie's in love...with someone she can't have.


Wasn't Supposed To Happen  
by Emilie Eden   
  
Disclaimer: Nothing has changed. I still do not own In A Heartbeat.   
  
Notes: UC, Caitie's POV. This is just something that popped into my head early this morning. Nothing too spectacular, just pure boredom.   
  
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I know this wasn't supposed to happen.   
  
I wasn't supposed to fall in love. No, Caitie Roth doesn't do the love thing. I've seen what it does to people. It makes you weak and vulnerable. You can't think for yourself and you're like a little puddle of the person that you used to be.   
  
I didn't want to be a puddle of Caitie.   
  
Yet, somehow it did happen. I fell in love. I became everything I knew I would become, everything I wanted to avoid. I don't even know when it happened; it just did. I remember waking up one day and realizing I loved him. I then proceeded to hit my head against the wall, in an attempt to make that realization go away.   
  
You see, you don't fall in love with your best friend's potential boyfriend.   
  
Falling in love with the guy your best friend likes is a big no-no. It's in the Best Friends Handbook. "Do not fall in love with the guy your best friend likes." It's crystal clear. You just don't do something like that. It ruins friendships, so you just avoid it. Period.   
  
Of course, I'm Caitie Roth. I can't do anything right, evidently. I didn't want to fall in love, but I did. I didn't want to betray my best friend, but I did. I shouldn't even refer to myself as her best friend anymore, because if she knew, well, I don't know what she would do. She trusted me and she wanted my help.   
  
I remember that day clearly.   
  
"Caitie, I need your help," she had said. "I like someone but I don't know if he likes me back. So, I need you to, you know, talk to him for me. I know, this sounds like junior high, but I don't want to risk our friendship in case he doesn't like me..."   
  
I agreed to help her, because she was Val and I'd do anything for her. We might be like oil and water, but we're still the best of friends. Or at least we were.   
  
So, I tracked him down and found him outside the EMS station, washing one of the ambulances. He had stared at me for a minute, before informing me that Val wasn't there. Of course, I was aware of that, but he didn't have to know that I wasn't there to see Val. I was there to see him.   
  
"Oh, she's not? Ok then." I remember that I stood there for a minute, trying to figure out what to say. "You and Val...you're good friends, right?"   
  
"I certainly hope so," he had replied. "Why? Did she say something about me?"   
  
"No..." I then smiled. "Nothing bad, anyway. I just wondered, because...well, Val and I don't get to spend a lot of time together these days, you know? She has the EMT thing and cheerleading and all that..."   
  
"Yeah," he agreed. "If there's one word to describe Val, it would be 'busy.'"   
  
"That's true...but there are other words, too. Like...nice, polite, caring, friendly," I paused before adding, "pretty."  
  
"Yup, all of those describe Val." I noticed he had stopped washing the ambulance for a minute, but he soon started again. "Did you want something, Caitie?"   
  
Then he looked at me and maybe that was the moment I fell in love. How would I know? All I know that this is disgustingly corny and the fact that I'm even thinking this makes me sick. When did I go from being the Caitie I used to be to this other Caitie?   
  
Very strange, this love thing. Who's idea was this, anyway?   
  
Back to the point.   
  
"WouldyoueverdateVal?" I had blurted out, before visibly wincing at my stupidity.   
  
"Uh..." I had caught him off guard, naturally. "Would I date Val? Well, I don't know, I mean...yeah, I guess I would. Why? Is she interested?"   
  
"Maybe," I said quietly.   
  
Then he grinned. "So, she likes me?"   
  
I let out a sigh. "Yes, she likes you, but you didn't hear it from me, ok? I was only supposed to talk to you...not blurt everything out like I did."   
  
"Should I ask her out?" He had forgotton about washing the ambulance by then, instead his attention was focused on me.   
  
"Yeah..." I kind of shrugged. "If you want, I guess."   
  
"I think I will..." He nodded to himself. "Thanks Caitie."   
  
"Yeah, no problem."   
  
The next day at school, I had seen them talking at Val's locker. She was all smiles, as was he, and I knew that he must have asked her out. Later that day, Val approached me, the smile never leaving her face.   
  
"He asked me out!" Val said, her voice a mixture of laughter and excitement. "Oh, I feel so immature, but this is like, unbelievable. I don't know what you said to him but..." She let out a little squeal, before hugging me. "I owe you."   
  
I had laughed. "Yes, you do," I agreed. "I'm sure I'll figure out a way to repay me."   
  
"I'll call you tonight and tell you everything," Val promised, before running off to meet up with him.   
  
It wasn't until later, much later, that I realized I was in love with him. He and Val were practically joined at the hip, which allowed me to get to know him well. We became good friends, and we're still good friends for the record, but I'm pathetically in love with him.   
  
I haven't told her, or him, or anyone...becuase I know that it would totally screw things up. I know that. So I keep it to myself. I'm not going to be selfish, because I've always disliked that in people. I can live with the fact that I'm in love with someone I can't have, because I know that this wasn't supposed to happen.   
  
I wasn't supposed to fall in love with Hank...   
  



End file.
